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PREFACE
In the tradition of Tirthankaras, Mahavira is the twentyfourth Tirthankara. His whole life illustrates the translation of the principle of Ahiṁsā into practice. The realisation of perfect Ahiṁsā is regarded by Mahāvira as the ethical Summum Bonum of human life. In fact, Ahimsa is so central in Mahavira's philosophy of life that it may be incontrovertibly called the beginning and the end of his philosophy. This ideal of Ahimsā is realised progressively. He who is able to realise Ahimsā partially is called a householder, whereas he who is able to realise Ahimsā completely, though not perfectly, is called an ascetic or a Muni. It belies the allegation that ascetic flees from the world of action. Truly speaking, he recoils not from the world of action but from the world of Himsā. No doubt the ascetic life affords full ground for the realisation of Ahimsā, but its perfect realisation is possible only in the plenitude of mystical experience which is the Arhat state. Thus the householder and the ascetic are the two wheels on which the cart of Mahavira's preachings moves on quite smoothly. By developing the doctrine of Anuvrata for the householder, Mahāvira has shown the way in which the householder should direct his course of life. There is no doubt that the doctrine of Anuvratas is the unique contribution of Mahāvira to Indian thought.
It is not idle to point out that the metaphysical position upheld by Mahāvira is known as Anekāntavāda or non
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